Advice Journey

Your objectives dictate the beginning of your advice journey and your initial meeting will be used to focus on the areas of financial advice you require assistance with.

As we develop our relationship we will gather information about you, your family, your goals and any existing assets you may have, to help us build an overall picture of where you are now and where you wish to get to.

To help you understand what goes on “behind the scenes” we have laid out the key considerations and planning processes in some of the main areas we specialise in:

Retirement Planning

Have you considered everything that could impact on your retirement planning?

Making provision for and accessing your benefits at retirement can be complex, there are also limits on how much you can contribute and take out without being penalised.

Pensions do however offer the valuable addition of tax relief, not offered by alternative investment vehicles. Therefore, everyone should be making use of their allowances to accrue retirement benefits.

With the arrival of Pensions Freedoms in 2015, came a wealth of flexibility but also a myriad of choices and options which can make retirement planning all the more complicated.

Ensuring that you have factored in all the relevant contributing influences on how and when you retire, the income level you can expect and how this might meet your aspirations in retirement can be daunting and sometimes overwhelming.

We have a wealth of experience in working through all of the options, and based on your individual circumstances guiding you through this process to allow you to successfully retire.

Existing Pensions

If you have already accrued benefits in pensions have you had these reviewed? If not, here are some of the main reasons why a review could be beneficial:

  • One of the keys to successfully accumulating a retirement fund is investing in strong performing funds – do you know which funds you are invested in and how the performance stacks up?
  • Older contracts tend to be subject to higher charges, which will eat into your investment returns and may not offer all the right retirement options which came available following Pensions Freedoms 2015.
  • As you get nearer to retirement an appropriate investment strategy for your pension can make a significant difference to the outcome for you when you decide to take benefits. A review of your retirement provision within 5 years to your anticipated retirement age can be of significant benefit to you.

Our Investment Expertise

A Tried and Tested Process you Can Trust

Our investment advice is a robust process centred around 10 key evidence-based factors that we incorporate into our bespoke advice service for you. Your plan will be bespoke to you, but the investment process used to meet your requirements will be approached with consistency and tried and tested methods. We won’t adapt you to our processes, we adapt our processes around you

10 Key Factors

  • Investors should understand the reasons for investing and how their portfolio is designed to meet their goals
  • A conversation about risk and its many dimensions is the essential first step when investing.
  • Investing for the long term is very different than saving for the short term.
  • The bulk of long-term returns come from asset allocation.
  • Diversification using mainstream asset classes can reduce risk without destroying returns.
  • Costs are certain and returns are not – so they deserve your attention.
  • Tax and access are important
  • Active management and passive strategies can both play a valuable role.
  • Investment success comes from the consistent application of a robust process.
  • Success is often about the things you don’t do as much as the things you do.
  • Our Investment Philosophy expands on these 10 key factors and gives you an in depth understanding of how we formulate your investment strategy.

“It’s not how much money you make, but how much money you keep, how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it for.”

Robert Kiyosaki

Family and Business Protection

“It is never too early to make a plan, but it is often left too late”.

The aim of protection policies is to protect those that financially rely on you.

Would your family be left with an outstanding mortgage on the family home or debt they would be unable to repay if you were to die tomorrow?
Could you pay your bills if you were too sick to work?
Would your business fail if a key person such as a director or partner died?
Protection policies can offer a solution for a whole range of scenarios, but in simplistic terms, if the answer to any of the above is yes, protection is a priority for you.

“In prosperity prepare for a change, in adversity hope for one”

James Burgh

Did you know?

In 2018 the Government reported it’s largest “tax take” from Inheritance Tax, this is despite the introduction of the additional Property Nil Rate Band which was introduced to remove more estates worth less that £1million from the IHT regime.

Later Life Planning is a very unique requirement for each and every client we look after, some of the benefits of which can be:

  • Peace of mind knowing a plan is in place for you and your loved ones
  • Inheritance Tax mitigation
  • Preservation of assets for your family

Later Life Planning

Retirement and Beyond

Once you have secured your retirement income, your requirements and priorities can change focus. Such as how you might fund long term care, if needed, and how best to ensure a legacy can be left behind for your family.

Some people are also concerned about Inheritance Tax on their estates and given the increase in property prices together with the recent added complexities of the Inheritance Tax regime, this area can be complicated to navigate while effecting more people than ever.

“Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”

Mark Twain

What Our Clients Say

From my initial telephone conversation and subsequent zoom meeting with Sarah, she knew instantly what I had hoped to achieve. I was more than happy to proceed after receiving a detailed review along with reasoned recommendations tailored to my risk profile. After only a short few months the investments that Sarah has recommended have so far outperformed many times over the fees involved. I am also making use of the ongoing service which was offered along with yearly reviews, so I have the peace of mind that my investments are in safe hands.

Graham

Deal

My husband and I have had 2 or 3 advisers prior to Maxine and my experience was usually mild bafflement as I tried to grasp what they were recommending and why. When we moved to Maxine, it was the first time I had really understood what was going on. She is very patient with the likes of me but also very professional. Her advice has proved to be first class and her support during the illness of my husband, and subsequent death, has been enormously helpful. She definitely ‘went the extra mile’ and continues to be someone I trust completely.

Sarah

Cantebury